Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • intransitive verb To follow in an effort to overtake or capture; chase.
  • intransitive verb To strive to gain or accomplish.
  • intransitive verb To proceed along the course of; follow.
  • intransitive verb To carry further; advance.
  • intransitive verb To take action regarding (something), especially with the intention of sustained effort.
  • intransitive verb To engage in (a vocation or hobby, for example); practice.
  • intransitive verb To court.
  • intransitive verb To continue to torment or afflict; haunt.
  • intransitive verb To follow in an effort to overtake or capture; chase.
  • intransitive verb To take action regarding something or carry on an established activity or project.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun Pursuit.
  • To follow; proceed along; follow in action.
  • To follow with the view of overtaking; follow with haste; chase; hunt: as, to pursue a hare; to pursue a fleeing enemy.
  • To seek; seek to obtain: as, to pursue a remedy at law; to pursue pleasure.
  • To follow close upon; attend; be present with; accompany.
  • To follow vindictively or with enmity; persecute; treat with hostility; seek to injure.
  • To follow as a principle of action, profession, trade, or occupation; prosecute; practise systematically; carry on.
  • To follow up; continue; proceed with.
  • To endeavor; try.
  • Synonyms To track, hound.
  • To strive for.
  • To conduct, keep up, persist in.
  • To give chase; charge.
  • To seek; endeavor; try.
  • To go on; continue; proceed.
  • To sue; act as prosecutor; take legal steps as plaintiff or prosecutor.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb To follow with a view to overtake; to follow eagerly, or with haste; to chase.
  • transitive verb To seek; to use or adopt measures to obtain.
  • transitive verb To proceed along, with a view to some and or object; to follow; to go in
  • transitive verb To prosecute; to be engaged in; to continue.
  • transitive verb To follow as an example; to imitate.
  • transitive verb To follow with enmity; to persecute; to call to account.
  • intransitive verb To go in pursuit; to follow.
  • intransitive verb To go on; to proceed, especially in argument or discourse; to continue.
  • intransitive verb (Law) To follow a matter judicially, as a complaining party; to act as a prosecutor.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb follow in or as if in pursuit
  • verb carry further or advance
  • verb carry out or participate in an activity; be involved in
  • verb go in search of or hunt for

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English pursuen, from Anglo-Norman pursuer, from Vulgar Latin *prōsequere, from Latin prōsequī; see prosecute.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Anglo-Norman pursuer, poursuire et al., Old French porsuir, from Latin prōsequī (though influenced by persequī).

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